Circular knitting machine



Dec. 13, 1932. J. L. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 19296 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 -IIIJ 1 W n M :3 n n u 7 A H a sh L n 5 .1 7 1 wi m nWW 1 Im j u 7 i a d J M i 1 /0 w z a v m n m m .1 n n a n m INVENTORJAMES L.GETAZ 31 i219 aiiarnqya Dec. 13, 1932,

J. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2Dec. 13, 1932. J. L. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17 1929 6Sheets-Sheet 3 -IVA lNVENTOR JAMES L.GETAZ 7 73215 azioivlcys Dec. 13,1932. J, GETAZ 1,891,215

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 19 29 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORJAMES L. GETAZ MMM 6 Sheets-Sheet J. L. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINEFiled May 17. 1929 Dec. 13, 1932.

JAMES L..GET'AZ Dec. 13, 1932.

J. GETAZ CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6INVENTOR JAMES L.GETAZ y 7a: @220 rneys Patented Dec. 13,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES L. GETAZ, OF MABYVILLE, TENNESSEE,ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INC, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Application filed May 17,

This invention relates to circular knitting machines and moreparticularly to circular knitting machines with revolving needlecylinders and adapted to make stripes and other patterns by wrapping aplating thread around selected needles only.

One object of the invention is to produce a mechanism for making suchplated or wraparound designs on any type of circular knitting machine.Another object is to so simplify and improve mechanism of this type thatitcan produce a greatly-increased variety of patterns. According to theinvention the designs are put. in by a plurality of striping yarnfingers revolving inside the needle circle, each 'finger oscillatmgabout its own PlVOiJ point, and the path of the yarn fingersintersecting the needle circle.

The invention will be shown and described embodied in the well-knownScott & Williams type of seamless hosiery machine with revolving needlecylinder.

Fig. l is a front elevation partly in section taken on the line I-I ofFig. 2 of the head of a machine in which one form of my invention hasbeen embodied;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the wrapping yarn fingers and associatedelements of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a development of the cam ring, the arrow showing the directionof movement of the needles; I

Fig. 4, is a plan view similar to Fig. 2, taken on the line IVIV of Fig.5, showing a modification in which the pivot points of the fingers aremovable in the plate carrying the fingers and" the axis of the plate isconcentric with the needle cylinder;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the modification of Fig. 4, takenon the line VV;

Fig. 6 is an elevation from the left side of the machine of theembodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a further modified form in which the bobbins are located belowthe yarn fingers and the driving means for the fingers include adifferential gear;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the differential gear shown in Fig. 7; whileFig. 9 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1

1929. Serial No. 363,311.

showing the invention embodied in a machine having a dial with knittinginstrumentalities, the fingers being eccentrically supported andthe'yarns fed from above.

As shown in the drawings the invention is embodied in a circularknitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder 260, carried by abedplate B, the needles 0?. being independently and vertically movablein the upper end of the needle cylinder as usual. There is the usuallatch ring 550 over which the usual plain or ground yarns are fed overthe usual throatplate 559.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and6, there is the usual yarn shear plate 26 located inside the needlecircle on a dial bracket 15 which in turn is fastened to the latch ring550. On top of the bracket are the usual yarn cutter and clamp 609. Thelatch ring is pivoted on a bracket 401 at the rear of the machine (Fig.6) to permit raising of the ring and plate out of the way. Revolublymounted in the bracket 15 eccentrically of the center of the needlecylinder is a long vertical tube 22. This tube extends well above thedial bracket and on its upper end is a'bobbin bracket 21 carrying thestriping yarn bobbins 20. The lower end of this tube projects below theshear plate 26 and serves to carry the striping yarn fingers andassociated mechanism. F astened to the underside of the yarn shear plateis a non-revoluble cam 26 lying in a horizontal plane. Just below thiscam is a yarn finger bracket 23 fixed on the tube 22. The .yarn fingers2A which are to carry the striping yarns are on top of the bracket 23each being pivoted about its own vertical center 30 locatedintermediateits outer endor toe 28 and inner end 29. (Fig. 2.) The tube 22 beingeccentric to the needle circle, it will be obvious that when the tuberevolves the pivots 30 of the yarn fingers revolving about their commonaxis take an eccentric path relatively to the needle circle. The path of0scillation of the fingers about their individual pivots is in the planeof the needle circle i. e., in a plane parallel tothat described by theneedle hooks when all at the same level. In the machine shown in thedrawings, where the needles are arranged in a cylinder the plane of theneedle circle is normal to the axis of the cylinder i. e., the length ofthe needles. The path of the fingers intersects the needle circle andtherefore the toes of the fingers have movement in one directionrelative to the needles opposite them while the toes are outside theneedle circle and relative movement in the other direction while insidethe needle circle. This eccentric mounting of the pivot points of thefingers combined with turn for turn revolving of the needle cylinderabout its center and the fingers about their common axis gives thewrappingof the yarns.

I have discovered that the entire mechanism can be much improved if theeccentric path of the yarn finger pivots is combined with anoscillationof each finger about its individual pivot 30. In Figs. 1 to 3the means to accomplish this individual oscillation comrises the abovementioned cam 25 located between the yarn shear plate 26 and the yarnfinger bracket 23. The inner ends 29 of the fingers meet the edge of thecam 25 at points later than their respective pivot points 30 whenconsidered in the direction of rotation about their common axis, andconsequently the fingers are at a substantial angle from the radiallines with the toes of the fingers ahead of their pivot points. Theinner ends of the fingers are held in contact with the relativelystationary cam 25 by springs 27 (Fig. 2). By properly shaping the cam 25I increase the relative movement of the toes of the fingers along theoutside of the needle circle, i. e. lower t eir velocity more than isoccasioned by the revolution of-the fingers about their common axis andthereby increase the number of needles which can be wrapped with thestriping yarns. Of course this droppin back of each finger while outsidethe needIe circle is compensated for by a correspondin relative advanceinside the circle. In ot or words the fingers move to and fro once abouttheir individual axes for each revolution about their common axis. Inorder to accomplish this the low point of the cam 25 is adapted to beabout under a finger when the latter is about to cross out over theneedle circle and the high point about where the finger has crossed backinslde the circle. The circumferential points at wh ch these crossingspreferably take place will be set forth at a later point in thespecification.

This oscillation of the yarn fingers about their individual axes notonly increases the number of needles around which a yarn can be wrappedbut makes it possible to decrease the amount of eccentricity of thecommon axis of the fingers. This decrease in the amount of commoneccentricity has several advantages. When the eccentricity isconsiderable the length of yarn from the bobbin to the needle variesconsiderably during one up. I provide small individual take-ups 35 onthe underside of theyarn finger bracket 23. It further makes it possibleto have the yarn finger circle about as large as the needle circle andtherefore to put in more fingers.

Another novel feature of the invention is the manner of guiding theyarns. The yarns from the bobbins 20 are fed down through the hollowtube or spindle 22 past the yarn shear plate and there distributedradially through the take-ups 35 to the toes 28 of the individual yarnfingers. This feeding of the yarns below the dial makes the body yarnsentirely independent of the wrap around yarns and permits yarn changeswhich have been impossible on prior machines of this general type.'Furthermore this method of feeding the yarns makes it possible to buildmachines of this wrap around type with dials therein containing knittinginstrumentalities, such for instance as shown in Fig. 9.

Still referring to the preferred embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, themeans for revolving the striping yarn fingers about their common axiswill be described now. If desired one can use the ordinary mechanismused to drive the dial such for instance as that shown in the patent toC. Madaris, 1,639,522, dated Aug. 16, 1927. This comprises a verticaldial drive shaft 13 actuated from the usual main bevel gear on the maindrive shaft of the machine and revolving in an open bearing sleeve 12, abevel pinion gf adapted to drive a bevel pinion g on the adjacent end ofa horizontal shaft 14. The motion of this horizontal shaft istransmitted to the eccentric tube 22 by bevel pinions g and g, thelatter being fastened on the tube 22 by a tenon 9 By these means thestriping yarn fingers are revolved with the same angular speed as theneedle cylinder. Substantially the same mechanism can be used with adial machine as shown in Fig. 9, and it is also possible to producespiral patterns by a slight change in the mechanism as shown in Figs. 7and 8.

Any needle selecting means can be employed to raise above the othersthose needles on which it is desired to wrap the plating or stripingthreads, such for instance as the means shown in the patent to Ivan W.Grothey, 1,678,385, dated July 24, 1928. However in Figs. 3 and 6 a,suitable mechanism for achieving this selection is shown. This comprisesessentially a series of selecting cams 36 operating on teeth 37 formedon the bottom of the needles below the regular operating butt 31. Theseteeth are in the form of saw teeth and the individual selecting cams 36are thin and each adapted to raise the needle only a distance from onetooth to the next so that it is possible to avoid any waste of spacebetween successive teeth. The operating butt may be longer than theselecting teeth 37. It is sufficient for selecting purposes for the wraparound action to raise the needle the height of one tooth. Theseselectingcams 36 can be operated by pivoted levers 37 awhich are in turnconnected to the usual thrust rods 460 (Fig. 6), those thrust rods beingoperated from both the main pattern drum 120 by cams 501 and also fromthe auxiliary or striping drum 19 by means of the bell crank levers 17in a well-known manner.

The circumferential relation of the various parts and the manipulationof the needles to combine the selective wrapping of the plating yarnwith the ordinary functions of the machine will now be set forth. In theexamples shown in the drawings, with particular reference to Figs. 2 and3, the knitting orknocking over point is indicated by the letter K andis located shortly after the throat plate 559 over which the body orground yarns are fed to the needles. I prefer .to make the eccentricityof the common axis of the yarn fingers of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in adirection about 135 after the throatplate because with the particularcam 25 and striping yarn fingers 24 shown in the drawings this willresult in the toes 28 of the yarn fingers crossing out over the needlecircle immediately after the knitting wave at the knocking over point.The fingers therefore return across the needle circle to the inside justprior to the point marked S in Figs. 2 and 3. This point is just beforethe needles reach the switch cam 415 which raises out of action thegroup of needles which are to be idle during the making of the heel ortoe. The wrapping is therefore completed by the time the point S isreached and the selection of the needles for wrapping therefore takesplace between the knitting wave and the switch cam. the needles movingin a counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 2 and in the direction of thearrow in Fig. 3.

In the ordinary machine the needles when coming out of the knitting waveare raised to the level 32 which level leaves the hooks of the needlesabove the tops of the nebs of the sinkcrs, the sinkers being controlledby the outside sinker ring 300 in the usual manner. I prefer to leavethe needles which are not to be wrapped with the plating yarn at a lowerlevel, namely, level 31, as shown in Fig. 3, until the wrapping of theselected needles has been accomplished. Needles whose butts are at thelevel 31 have the tops of their hooks just even with the tops of thenebs of the sinkers and are out of the way of the wrapping yarns. Thelevel 31 is 'sloped up to the level 32 just about at the point S wherein the regular manner.' The selecting cams i 36 acting on the saw toothbutts 37 serve to raise the hooks of the, needles far enough above thenebs of the sinkers to permit wrapping of the plating yarngaround themand in this manner the needles around which the stripe or design isdesired are selected It over the top of the sinker nebs which preventitfrom getting under the latches and being cast off instead of being drawnin the hooks as it should. This cam is raised during the heel and toe.The patent to Albert E. Page, N 0. 1,367,425, dated February 1, 1921,shows mechanism for manipulating this cam.

Another novel feature of the invention will be apparent when theoperation of the ma chine during reciprocating knitting is con sidered.When it is desired to make the heel or toe by reciprocating knitting itis necessary, of course, that the active needles pass through theknitting cams first in one direction and then in another, and it istherefore necessary that these active needles be at the level 32 nomatter from which direction they approach the knitting cams. When theyare approaching the knitting cams in the rotary orforward direction thecam-level 32 will raise the needles to the proper level, but with thecam surface cut back to the level 31 between the points K and S, it willbe'obvious that special mechanism must beprovided to raise the needlesso that: they will pass over the stitch cam 361 when the machine isoscillating in the reverse direction. For this purpose I provide avertically movable raising cam 33 between the stitch cam 361 and theselecting earns 36, this cam being operated by levers from a thrust rod460, or in any other desired manner. The upper end of this cam 33 ispeaked intermediate its edges as shown in Fig. .3, and when in its upperor operative position,,shown in solid lines in this figure, the loweredges of this peak coincide respectively with the level 31 and the camsurface underneath the stitch cam 361. It will be obvious that when thiscam is raised the active needles will be raised to the level 32 whenthey pass the cam no matter from which side they are coming. Whenretracted the highest point of this cam is at the level 31. This cam isspaced a very slight distance from the needle cylinder so-that it doesnot contactwith the selecting teeth 37 The location of the top centercam 357, the throatplate 559 carryin the yarn fingers F for the bodyyarns, t e switch earn 415 and the widening pick or dropper 680 'arealso shown in Fig.

desir 3 in order that the operation of the machine 4 may be more easilycomprehended.

lecting cams 36 are moved radially inward needles proceed along the camlevel 31 with.

by means on the auxiliary striping drum 19 and as the needles completethe knitting wave those having teeth opposite inserted cams are raisedslightly above the level 31. The other their hooks just even with thetops of the nebs of the sinkers while the selected needles have theirhooks a short distance above the nebs. The striping yarn fingersrevolving about 35 their common eccentric axis at the moment that theirtoes 28 are ready to cross out over the needle circle are riding on thelowest point of the stationary cam and the toe of each finger as itstarts across the needle circle has therefore about completed itsoscillation in the direction of rotation of the needles and is in itsmost advanced position relatively to the needle circle. As soon as ithas passed through the needle circle the eccentric mounting of the plvotpoints of the yarn fingers coupled with the increasing height of the cam25 over the inner end 29 of the yarn finger causes the cam to drop backalong the circumference of the needle circle past a lar e number ofneedles. The oscillation caused y the cam 25 has a component of movementalongl the circumference of the needle circle and t erefore when the toeof the yarn finger crosses back inside the needle circle about the pointS the retarding oscillation due to the eccentricity of the common axiswill have been increased and the toe will have been further retardedthan would have been the case if the finger were not pivotally mounted.The movement of the toe of the yarn finger relatively to the needle is acomplete oscillation in the course of one revolution of the needlecylinder. thus wrapping the yarns completely around the needles. As theyarn fingers cross back'inside the needle circ e at the-point S theneedles which were not wrapped ride up from cam level 31 to cam level 32and all the needles will take the body yarns from the regular yarnfingers F in the throat plate riding over the leading stitch cam 360 andunder the top center cam 357 and the stitch cam 361.

This continues until the machine is approaching the heel. On the lastcircular course before the first oscillation in the reverse direction atthe heel the switch cam 415 is lowered into action and raises the longbutt needles out of action in the usual manner. About the same timetheraising cam 33 is moved to its uppermost or operative position andcommences to raise the needle butts to the level 32. It is raised intime to be in operation when the leading short butt needle passes on thelast movement in the forward direction. The machine continues to revolvein this direction until all the short butt needles have been raised tothe level 32.

When any needles are at the level 32 their upper ends are on a levelwith the striping yarn fingers'and it is one of the novel features ofthe invention that interference between the needles andyarn fingers atthis time is avoided automatically without any movement of the fingersout of operative relation. During the last revolution in the forwarddirection the toes of the yarn fingers are crossing back inside theneedle circle at the point S and as they come out at the knocking overpoint K after the short butt needles have already been raised by cam 33and the long butts by the switch 415 and therefore the fingers contactwith the backs of the shanks of both the long and short butt needles.Each finger automatically disposes itself out of the way until rotaryknitting is resumed by pivoting about its center against the pressure ofits spring 27. This pivoting allows the toe28 to stay inside the needlecircle, and the toe is made broad, blunt and with curved corners toavoid jamming or catching and to allow the finger to roll on theneedles. The fingers maintain their position without ammin during boththe reverse and forward stro es.

At the end of the heel the cam 33 is lowered to its inoperative positionas shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. As the needles start coming fromunder the stitch cam after the last oscillation in the reverse directionthey are raised only to the level 31 which leaves their hooks below thestriping yarn fingers and those yarn fingers can therefore pass out overthe needles and resume their wrapping of threads around theselectiveneedles.

The knitting of the remainder of the stocking will be obvious from thedescription already given, the successive stockings being knit asstringwonk if desired. The cam 33 can be left up at the end of the toeof one stocking and as far intothe next stocking as it is desired toprevent striping. This same manipulation can be availed of to stop andstart the striping at any desired points in the stocking.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown an embodiment of the invention in which thetube 22 is concentric with the center of the needle cylinder. Howeverthe fingers are still given a culvilinear path about the center of theneedle circle which intersects the needle circle. This camming movementin the plane of the needle circle is obtained by giving the pivot pointsa. radially sliding movement. Such part of the radial motion as wasobtained from the eccentricity of the tube 22 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, isobtained in Figs. 4 and 5 by mounting the pivots 30 in radial slots 38'and extending the upper ends of the pivots into an eccentric groove 39in a lower face of the stationary .cam 25'. A

A preferred form of driving'means for the dial is shown in Figs. 1 and6. The means are actuated from the main drive shaft as in the Madarispatent above mentioned but on the upper end of the vertical shaft 13there 1s a horizontal sprocket wheel 40 instead of the bevel pinion g.This sprocket drives a chain 41 geared to a sprocket Wheel 45 on thepivot shaft 5520f the latch ring 550 by bevel pmions 43, 44, and asprocket 42. The sprocket wheel 45 is in turn connected to the usualhorizontal shaft 14 by a chain 46 and a sprocket Wheel 47 on the shaft14. 7 It will be obvious that the yarn fingers and dial cannot get outof time with the cylinder.

Where in the claims I speak of dial it should be understood as includingeither a yarn shear plate or a dial having knitting in"- strumentalitiessuch as transfers.

A considerable amount of spiralling or shogging of the pattern can beaccomplished by simply varying the selection of needles in the groupswhich the fingers wrap but if this is not suificient then the fingerscan be shogged by the following mechanism. This can be accomplished bythe mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and 8 where a differential gear isintroduced into the driving'means for the dial and the yarn fingers aretherefore.

shogged slightly every revolution relatively vto the yarn finger bracket23 and therefore the bracket and shell revolve with the yarn I to theneedles. y I

The vertical shaft 48which takes the place of shaft 13 in Figs. 1, 2 and3. carries a horizontal bevel gear 49. There is a companion gear 50facing gear 49 and the two are connected by bevel pinions 51 and 52revolving as usual on a frictionally held ring 53. Onthe outside of thering are two rows of teeth 54 adapted to be engaged by pawls 55 and 55a.As long as the pawls 55, 55a do not rack the ring 53 around thecompanion gear 50 will revolve in unison with gear 49 and the drivingstub 56 on the gear 50 will transmit the same number of rotations.However gear 50 revolves in the opposite direction to gear 49 andtherefore a reversing gear 57 is provided between the differential gearand usual pin-- result the yarn fingers are shogged relatively to theneedle cylinder. When both of these pawls are disengaged from theratchet so that 35 their motion does not turn the differential gear thedirection ofthe pattern formed by the wrapping threads will be invertical lines straight down the hose, but if. these pawls are made toengage the teeth of the ratchet so as to move the differential gear thedirection of the pattern made by the wrapping threads will be shiftedfrom its vertical direction on the hose either to one side or the otheraccording to the direction in which the ratchet is moved. To give azigzag effect to .this wrapping pattern-the pawl on one side of theratchet will engage the teeth of the ratchet for a given number ofcourses and then this pawl will be released and the other pawl willengage the teeth on the other side of the ratchet and thus reverse thelateral movement of the pattern in making the zigzag efi'ect. Anysuitable mechanism can be used to actuate the pawls from the main shaftof the machine and to control them from the pattern drum. For an examplesee the patent to Henshall, 386,819, dated July 31, 1888.

Fig. 7 also shows another modification of the invention in that thestriping yarn bobb ns are shown mounted below the yarn shear plate 26.The bobbins 58 are mounted horizontally one below'the other on an axisconcentric with the common axis of the yarn fingers these bobbins beingcarried in a shell 59, and through openings in these walls the yarns arefed to the yarn fingers. This shell is pivoted on a horizontal axis atits lower upper ends of the yoke are rigidly fastened fingers. Thehinges 61 assist in making it possible to get at the various bobbins andchange them as needed. The bobbins are sufficiently small to leave roomaround the shell and the yoke for the knitted stocking to, ass downthrough the tube and with the bob ins mounted in the manner abovedescribed it is also possible to raise the latch ring and remove thebobbins from the tube.

An embodiment of the invention in such a machine having a dial D withknitting in strumentalities is shown in Fig. 9 and it will be noted thatexcept for the driving means for the dial and the yarn finger bracketthe mechanism is substantially identical with that already shown inFigs. 1 to 3.

When the invention is embodied in a. ma: chine for a dial with knittinginstrumentalities therein, by means of an eccentric tube 220,

it is necessary to provide driving'means not drive shaft 13a in thesemi-circular housing or sleeve 12 referred to in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, andthe usual bevel pinion g meshing with a bevel pinion g on the end of thehorizontal dial shaft 14. This horizontal dial shaft is carried by abracket 16a which in turn is mounted on the latch ring 550 asheretofore. Theend of the horizontal shaft 14 which is located over theneedle circle has the usual bevel pinion g meshing with a horizontalbevel pinion g. This bevel pinion g has a tenon g taking into a slot cutlongitudinally in a sleeve 62, the sleeve 62 therefore revolving withthe pinion. On the lower end of this sleeve is fastened the dial properand on top of the dial proper the dial cover and the yarn cutter andclamp as usual. This sleeve 62 is concentric with the needle cylinderand revolves in unison therewith. The vertical drive shaft 13a whichdrives the dial mechanism extends some little distance above the bevelpinion g in order to provide means for driving the striping yarn fingersabout their axis. These means include a bevel pinion 63 meshing with avertical bevel pinion 64 in the manner of g and g and a horizontal shaft65 carrying on its opposite end pinion 66. Pinion 66 meshes with pinion67 which latter is held from vertical movement by an arm of the maindial bracket 16a. The eccentric tube 22a revolves with the pinion 67 andcarries the striping yarn finger bracket 23 as usual. The tube 22apasses down from the pinion 67 through a non-revoluble eccentric sleeve68 which fills the space between the eccentric tube 22a and theconcentric sleeve 62 of the dial. This eccentric sleeve 68 is verticallyadjustable by means of the usual mechanism such as shown in Fig. 14 ofthe above-mentioned Scott Patent 1,641,101. The screw 69 keeps theeccentric sleeve 68 from revolving.

Numerous modifications will doubtless occur to those skilled in the art,which do not depart from the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder,striping yarn fingers revolubly mounted within said cylinder, eachfinger also having its own individual pivot, means to oscillate eachfinger about its own ivot and means adapted to give said individualpivots a camming movement in the plane of and relative to the needlecircle, the path of the feeding ends of said yarn fingers intersectingthe needle circle.

2. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder, striping yarnfingers supported from said spindle and moving turn for turn with theneedles in such a way that the path of the feeding ends of the fingersintersects the needle circle, in combination with means adapted tooscillate said feeding ends of the fingers in the plane of the needlecircle while inside and outside of the needle circle in such timedrelation as to give said yarn fingers an increased movement along theoutside of the needle circle.

3. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder, and stripingyarn fingers pivotally supported from said spindle, their pivot polntsmoving turn'for turn with the needle cylinder and their feeding endsbeing adapted to intersect the needle circle, in combination with a camadapted to oscillate the feeding ends of said yarn fingers along theneedle circle to vary their travel outside of the needle circle.

4. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within said needle cylinder, and aplurality of striping yarn fingers supported by said spindle saidfingers presenting curved surfaces at their outer ends, in combinationwith spring means pressing the curved surfaces of said fingersyieldingly outward.

5. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, andindependent needles therein, in combination with a pivoted yarn fingerrevolubly mounted within said cylinder, the pivot point of said fingerhaving a curvilinear path around the center of the needle circle and thepath of the toe of the finger crossing said needle circle, said toebeing adapted to stay within the circle upon contacting with theneedles.

6. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder, and aplurality of striping yarn fingers supported by said spindle in such away that the path of the feeding ends of the fingers intersects theneedle circle, the feeding end of one of said fingers being on adifferent radial line from the spindle than the pivot point of thefinger at the moment of crossing the needle circle outwardly, incombination with spring means attached to each finger permitting thefinger to yield when its feeding end meets a needle.

'7. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, 'aspindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder and revolvingin unison therewith, and a plurality of striping yarn fingers pivotallysupported by said spindle in such manner that their path intersects theneedle circle, in combination with a relatively stationary cam adaptedto give an oscillatory movement to the feeding ends of said yarn fingersto increase the number -of needles wrapped thereby, and a spring tendingto hold a yarn finger against said cam and adapted to permit said fingerto yield radially inward when it contacts with a needle.

8, A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within said needle cylinder and aplurality of striping yarn fingers pivotally carried by said spindle insuch a way that their path intersects the needle circle, in combinationwith relatively stationary cam means for said fingers adapted tomaintain said fingers at a substantial angle from a radial direction andby varying that angle from the radial position to vary the velocity ofthe feeding ends of the yarn fingers relative to the needles.

9. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within said needle 0 linder, striping yarnfingers moving turn or turn with the needles in such a way that the pathof the feeding ends of the fingers intersects the needle circle,individual vertical pivots for said fingers supported by said spindle incombination with relatively stationary cam means acting on the innerends of said yarn fingers to successively make the speed of the feedingends of the yarn fingers, relative to the needles, less and more thanthe speed 00- casioned by the eccentricity of the splndle.

10. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within said needle cylinder, and aplurality of striping yarn fingers pivotally supported by saidspindlemovin in the same direction as the needles in sue a way that thepath of the feeding ends of the fingers intersects the needle circle, incombination with a cam holding the inner ends of said fingerscircumferentially forward of their pivot points viewed in the directionof rotation of the fingers and giving to the feeding ends of the fingersan oscillatory component of movement in the plane of the needle circle,the feeding ends describing a closed curvilinear path around a group ofneedles.

11. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aspindle eccentrically located within the needle cylinder and a pluralityof stripingyarn fingers pivotally supported by said spindle moving inthe same direction as the needles in such away that the path of thefeeding ends of the fingers inter- :ects the needle circle, incombination with a cam holding the inner ends of saidfingerscircumferentially forward of their pivot points viewed inthe directionof rotation of the fingers and giving to the feeding ends of the fingersan oscillatory component of movement adding to the number" of needleswrapped by the component due to eccentricity of the spindle.

12. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, anda-plurality of striping yarn fingers within said cylinder, incombination with means of supporting and A revolving said yarn fingersin unison with said needle cylinder and a relatively non- 'revolublec'am cooperating with said mountneedle circle.

ing means to give said yarn fingers a motion having reciprocatorycomponents across said needle circle and back and also along thecircumference of the needle circle.

13. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder,independent needles therein, and a dial within said cylinder, incombination with a plurality, of striping yarn fingers revolubly mountedunderneath said dial.

14.-A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, aseries of bobbins mounted above said cylinder on an axis substantiallyconcentric therewith, and adial in combination with a tube alsosubstantially concentric adapted to lead yarns from said bobbins to aposition below said dial, and a series of striping yarn fingers belowsaid dial adapted to feed said yarns to the needles.

' 15. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder,and striping yarn fingers mounted within said cylinder,-in combinationwith means adapted to rotate said fingers at the same angular speed asthe needles, and a differential gear adapted to vary the speed ofrotation of said fingers, the path of the feeding ends of the fingersintersecting pivots of the fingers a path eccentric to the needlecircle, in "combination with means adapted to oscillate the fingersabout their individual pivot 17. A circular knitting machine having arevolving needle cylinder, striping yarn points in the plane of thefingers revolubly mounted within said cylinder, each finger also havingits own individual pivot, means to oscillate each finger aboutits ownpivot and means adapted to give said individual pivots a radialmovement, said oscillationabout and movements of the individual pivotsbeing in the plane of the needle circle, the path of the feeding ends ofsaid yarn fingers intersecting the needle circle.

18. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder,striping yarn fingers mounted within said cylinder, individual pivotsfor said fingers and means for revolving said yarn fingers in unisonwith the needles, said means giving the individual pivots of the fingersa path eccentric to the needle circle, in combination with meansadaptedto vary the travel of the feeding ends of the fingers in theplane of the needle circle from that occasioned. by .the radialpositions of the feeding ends. 7

19. A circular kn tting machinehaving a revolving needle cylinder,stripin yarn fingers revolubly mounted within sai cylinfingers withreation to the needles for pat tern purposes, the path of the feeding endsof the yarn fingers intersecting the needle circle.

21. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder and aplurality of stri ing yarn fingers, means for revolving sai' yarnfingers about a common center within the cylinder,said means giving thefingers a path eccentric to the needle circle, the feeding ends of thefingers intersecting the needle circle. in combination with meanspressing said fingers outwardly but permitting one or more to yield uponcontact with a needle and to remain within the circle.

22. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, yarnfingers, individual pivots for said fingers and means for revolving saidyarn fingers in unison with the needles about a common center within thecylinder, said means giving the individual pivots of the fingers'a patheccentric to the needle circle, in combination with means adapted tooscillate the fingers about their individual pivot points in the planeof the needle circle, the path of the feeding ends of the fingersintersecting the needle circle and means pressing said fingers outwardlybut permitting same to turn yieldingly about their individual pivotsupon contact with a needle and to remain within the circle.

23. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder. yarnfingers, individual pivots for said fingers and means for revolving saidyarn fingers in unison with the needles about a common center within thecylinder. said means giving the individual pivo s of the fingers a patheccentric to the needle circle, in combination with means adapted tooscillate the fingers about their individual pivot points in the planeof the needle circle, the path of the feeding ends of the fingersintersecting theneedle circle.

24. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, Iindependent needles therein, a revolving dial above said cylinder anddial needles therein, pivoted wrapping yarn fingers and a bracket forsaid fingers revolvin in unison with said cylinder and dial, in comination with spindles carrying said dial and bracket and revolving samein unison with the needle cylinder, stationary cam means to actuate saiddial needles and yarn fingers, and tube means adapted to feed yarn tosaid fingers through said dial and bracket.

25. A circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder, astationary bracket above said cylinder, a hollow spindle in thisbracket, driving means for rotating said spindle in unison with thecylinder, a non-revoluble hollow shaft inside said spindle and a supportfor said shaft above said spindle rotating means, in combination with ashaft within said hollow shaft, rotating means for said shaft locatedabove the nonrevoluble hollow shaft, and members cooperating with thecylinder needles and means actuating said members, said last mentionedmeans and members being carried by said spindle and shafts, there beingan opening within the inner shaft adapted to permit passage of awrapping yarn from above the rotating means of said inner shaft to aposition below the members cooperating with the cylinder needles.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES L. GETAZ.

